7 Tips for Using the Gestalt Theory for Better Composition

Gestalt theory evolved in the 1920’s to explain some of the ways in which people perceive the world around them. The basic idea is that, when faced with a visually chaotic scene, the human mind simplifies it into more recognizable patterns and shapes.

Gestalt theory provides an insight into the pattern recognition process that occurs when people look at photographs. Once you understand the principles of gestalt theory, you can use them to improve the composition of your photos.

These are some of the useful aspects of the gestalt theory.

1. Proximity

A pair or group of objects that are close to each other are more likely to be perceived as belonging together than if they are far apart.

In this portrait, the proximity of the girl and horse suggest a close relationship between them. If closeness is what you want to show, it would be far less effective to position them with their heads further apart.

2. Similarity

Objects that are similar in shape, size or colour are seen as belonging together.

In this landscape photo, the three rocks in the middle distance are linked by proximity (the previous point) and by their similarity in texture, colour and shape.

3. Closure

The mind completes shapes that don’t exist. This is a principle used in some optical illusions but it also applies to photography. Part of the skill of composition is learning to recognize shapes, and building the design of the image around them. The principle of closure helps you see shapes in the subject.

For example, take a look at the landscape below. The bluebells form a solid block of colour in the lower two-thirds of the photo, with a strong horizontal line along the top. The line is interrupted by the trees passing through it, yet we still perceive it is a continuous straight line. The mind automatically fills in the gaps.

4. Simplicity

The mind perceives parallel lines that are close together as a single line.

It’s the same with the fence. This set of short, vertical lines is simplified into a long, diagonal line that follows the side of the road.

5. Continuation

The mind assumes that lines extend beyond the edges of the frame. In the landscape photo above this principle helps create a sense of depth (along with the use of a wide-angle lens) as the mind believes that the road continues beyond its vanishing point.

6. Segregation

For human figures to be recognizable they must stand out from the background. That way we can identify them easily even if they’re small in the frame. This is a useful principle because you can include small human figures in the landscape to indicate scale. But it is important that they don’t merge into the background, otherwise they are difficult to see.

In this landscape, the man walking away from the camera is a dark figure against a light background (tonal contrast in action), and is easy to see and recognize.

7. Emergence

The viewer may not notice something in the photo when he first looks at it, but it becomes apparent after a period of study. This is an important concept because it is a way of making photos more interesting by presenting the viewer with something that is not evident at first, but reveals itself after reviewing the image. It’s a way of rewarding the viewer, and gives photos staying power.

For example, how long did it take you to see the cat in the photo on this page? Or the cow’s head in the opening photo (top of the article) of the singer?

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Psychology is such a fascinating subject, I really enjoyed this article! I think pareidolia has similarities to emergence, I’m always looking for examples when I take pics of fire.

Bernadine

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Tim Lowe

Wow. Very cool article. I’m not sure you really used Gestalt to arrive at any new composition theory. But you sure did present a fascinating argument for why some of these tried and true principals work. I’m sharing this my photographer friends. Again, great piece.

Great artícle. A few tips that every lover of photography must know. Personally I think the composition is one of the big issues that people dont know.
Everyone knows best how many megapixels your camera has, and unknown composition techniques ….

Hi Michael, I have no plans to convert Square to the kindle format. I might look at Mastering Composition when I have time to see if it’s feasible. Both are available in PDF format from my website.

Jay M

Nicely done. This article explains how many photographers ‘instinctively’ compose their images. I see some of these qualities in many good photos (and the lack of them in many bad ones), of course there are exceptions, but these are good basic guidelines